SPANISH FORT, Ala. — Hunters, fishers and campers no longer have to make a three-hour drive to fulfill their Bass Pro Shops craving.

Shoppers arrived early Aug. 13 to the outdoor store to shop ’til they drop. The store opened its doors shortly before 9 a.m. for a “soft” opening that had 100 to 150 outdoors lovers waiting to take a first glimpse at the new store.

Robert McCarty and his wife were the first shoppers to enter the store that morning at 8:55, Stephanie Parrish, promotions manager for Bass Pro Shops, said. The couple made the two-hour drive from Opp, Ala.

A soft opening allowed the 400 to 450 store workers to get used to the atmosphere and work out any kinks that arose, Parrish said.

“I came straight from work,” Larry Byrd, a Mobile shopper, said while walking to first enter the store. “I’d been thinking about it all day.”

“Wow,” 6-year-old Nicholas Gunning, of Mobile, said when he walked in the door. Gunning, who was there with his dad, Luke, said he was there to look for a new fishing pole to catch catfish, his favorite underwater species. “He’s lucky the poles are right when you come in the door,” his dad said.

Visitors can shop around for women’s, men’s and children’s apparel, camping, backpacking, hiking, outdoor cooking equipment and many other outdoor-related items.

The store will celebrate with a grand opening celebration beginning at 8 a.m. Aug. 28. The first 200 visitors through the door will receive a special gift with purchase. The gift may include a gift card in the Bass Pro Shops mini tackle box, a Rapala limited edition commemorative lure or a Bass Pro Shops stainless steel coffee mug, a news release said.

Bass Pro Shops is the only open store at the new Spanish Fort Town Center. J.C. Penney, Circuit City and Kohl’s will follow.

The mixed-use development will also include hotels, apartments and car dealerships, according to Spanish Fort city officials.